Car-replacer.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

G. H. SARGENT.

GAR REPLAGBR.

APPLICATION rum) APR.5, 1905.

2 SHEBTS-BHEBT 1.

PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

G. H. SARGENT. GAR REPLAGER. APILIGATION FILED 1133.5, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

GEORGE H. SARGENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-REPLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed April 5, 1905. Serial No. 253,982.

To all who/1t it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Replacers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrecking frogs, or means for replacing derailed cars and the like, and particularly to the construction of replacing frogs designed to be adjustable in position with respect to the rail. The objects of my invention are, to provide for lightness and strength in the construction in such frogs; to form the frog for angular adjustment with respect to the rail while still maintaining the proper position of the throwing-off nose; to provide a frog which will elevate gradually and will operate on the wheel in either direction, and engage the tread as well as the flange and automatically slide the wheel onto the rail when it is properly elevated; and to generally improve the design and structure and operation of wrecking frogs. These objects and other advantages which will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of construction illustrated in preferred forms in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figures 1, 2 and 3 show respectively, a top plan, an end elevation and a rear side elevation of the inside frog, operating upon the wheel inside the track;

Figures 1, 5 and 6 are corresponding views representing respectively, a top plan view, an end elevation and a rear side elevation of the outside frog.

In replacing derailed cars it is of great importance that the frog be capable of adjust ment in line with the plane of the wheel so as to make unnecessary any lateral sliding of the wheel before it is properly elevated to drop upon the rail, and at the same time the nose of the frog should be so formed that whatever its angular position in relation to the rail, it easily slides the wheel on the rail after it has been elevated. For this reason it will be seen that in each one of the frogs I have provided two wings which are set at an angle with each other, and both are joined to the rounded throwing-off head, the nose of which projects over and is supported by the base flange of the rail, and in any position of the inclines is at the proper distance from the head of the rail and at the proper height to throw the wheel in place. From the figures on sheet 1 which shows the inside frog A, it

will be seen that this has two like ends each comprising the gradually inclined surface 7 which first engages the tread of the wheel (it being desirable to first raise the wheel by the tread because the flange is usually embedded in the ties, and if it strikes the replacer first it will tend to displace it from position). On the back of the incline 7 I providea supple mentary flared incline 8 which engages the flange of the wheel after the wheel has traveled part way up the surface 7, the object of this incline or channel 8 being to transfer the weight from the tread to the flange and to raise the wheel by its flange onto the rounded head 9, which slopes toward the rail so as to slide the tread of the wheel overon to the rail, for which purpose it has a nose projecting over the base flange of the rail. The back side of the rounded head 9 is provided with a guide flange 10 to prevent the wheel from coming off, and in both directions the top is braced by stiffening flanges 12 and 20.

For lightness and strength, and particularly to design the frog so that it may be made of cast steel, I have constructed the whole on the plan of the T-rail construction, the bearings being thin plates supported upon vertical webs 13 and cross webs 14 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The base comprises the backward extending horizontal flange 11 and also a forwardly extending flange under the nose 9 adapted to lap over the flange of the rail. These base flanges are provided with notches 15 for the railroad spikes to fix the frog in place, and also with the downwardly projecting teeth 16 to engage the ties.

From sheet 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the outside frog B is essentially the same as the inside frog A in general construction, and has two inclined wings 7 to engage the tread of the wheel, these ending in the rounded head 17 which slopes toward the rail, and ends in a projected nose 18 which extends over and is supported by the flange of the rail, as in frog A. This projecting nose is stiffened by cross web 20 and has a flange portion 19 to rest upon the flange of the rail, and also the backwardly extending base flange 11. All parts are supported by the vertical webs 13 and 14 as before and the base is provided with downwardly extending teeth 16 and with notches 15 for the receipt of the spikes.

The two wings of the frogs are preferably set at an angle of about 120 with each other in order to accommodate any position of the wheels, and it will be seen that by this form,

IIO

together with the rounded projecting nose which comes in contact with the rail, the frogs may be set at any desired angle in which wheels are liable to be found, and the wheel runs in a direct line until it is sufiiciently elevated to throw it upon the rail, when it is automatically cast over by the round heads 9 and 17. By the construction of the bearing surfaces as flat plates supported by the strengthening webs 13 and 14 and flat base plates 11 to rest upon the ties, it will be seen that all the requisite strength is provided with very little waste of material and the entire design is in form which may be readily be made of cast steel. On the inside frog A the advantage of the wheels engaging first upon its tread when it comes upon the incline will be readily recognized, as this not only gives a better bearing but prevents the breaking of the frog by a sudden blow of the sharp contact point of the flange. The elevation is gradual until the point is reached where the tread is in line with the rail and it is necessary for the flange to be engaged to throwthe wheel upon the rail, so that there is no lateral sliding of the wheel upon the frog until it has reached its full elevation. Other advantages of the design will readily occur to those familiar with the art. For example, the usual difficulty of the sinking of the frog into the soft ties is ob- .viated by the base so resting on the iron rail at a fixed and immovable distance from the top of the rail.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what 1 claim as. new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the vfollowing:

1. A wrecking frog provided with two inclined wings set at an angle with each other and connected by arounded nose projecting over the rail flange and beyond the lines of the wings, for throwing the wheel upon the rail.

2. In a wrecking frog the combination with the two end inclines set at an angle with each other, and a rounded sloping nose projecting beyond the side lines of the inclines.

3. A wrecking frog adapted to fit alongside the rail and independent of the rail head, comprising an inclined portion to engage the tread of the wheel and a laterally flared flange to engage the flange of' the wheel when the tread 5. A wrecking frog comprised of two inclined portions and a rounded outwardly projecting bearing surface on top and a base plate, and vertical} webs connecting the two, one of which directly supports the projection, whereby the metal is used only at the point where pressure is to be withstood, substantially as described.

6. A wrecking frog having an inclined bearing face, a rounded head, and an inwardly projecting nose thereon extending over the rail flange. and a cross web and base directly supporting said nose on the rail flange, substantially as described.

7 A pair of wrecking frogs having means for engaging both wheels upon the tread portion, a guard to prevent the sliding backward off the frog, and means for throwing the wheels upon the rail, including a projecting nose extending over the flange of the rail, substantially as described.

8. A wrecking frog comprising a flat supporting base to engage the ties, vertical webs to support the bearing surfaces, an inclined bearing surface, and a rounded head at the center of the frog having a forwardly projectin g point extending over the flange of the rail.

9. A car replacer comprising two inclined angularly disposed wlngs and a connecting head of rounded contour having a round nose projecting over the rail flange.

10. A car replacer comprising two inclined angularly disposed wings and a connecting head of rounded contour having around nose projecting over the rail flange, and supported directly on the rail flange, to avoid sinking into the soft wooden ties when in action.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed 

